Fishing Flatfoot Lake in Riding Mountain West, Manitoba

• Overview

  Set in Riding Mountain West, Flatfoot Lake is a Manitoba water. It sits in rolling bush country. The water measures roughly 5 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Riding Mountain West standards. Nearest town is Roblin, 20 km off. Kamsack follows at 60 km, then Langenburg at 68 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Flatfoot Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Riding Mountain West include white sucker, rock bass, blackside darter, johnny darter and shorthead redhorse. The county list is broader than any single water. At Flatfoot Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 18°C and January about -19°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Flatfoot Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Phoneline Lake, 1.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Flatfoot Lake is worth confirming on the day.